Safety appliance for railroad-trains.



N0.7`z2,646. PATBNTBD MAR.10,1903 Q R. WITTMANN.

l SAFETY APPLIANGE FOR ,RAILROAD TRAINS. APPLIOATION'HLD FEB. 1a, 1902.

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PATRNTRD MAR. 1o, 1903, R. WITTMANN.- SAFETY APPLIANGR PoR RAILROAD TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILEDFEB. 18, 1902.

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4 SHEETS- SHEET 2L WITNESSES I www ATTORNEY v PATENTED MAR. l0, 1903.

y R. WITTMANN.v SAFETY APBLIANGB FOR RAILROAD TRAINS.

`APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1B, 1902.

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No. 722,646. y PATENTED MAR. l0, 1903.

l R. WITTMANN.

SAFETY APPLIANGE 4POR RAILROAD TRAINS.

APPLioATIoN FILED rma. 1a, 1902.

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`wnNlssEs: A' INVENTOR I KudoZ/'Mmamz BY Maf- /fr 4% ATTORNEY UNITED STATES l PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLF I/VITTMANN, OF WOODHAVEN, NEW YORK.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR RAILROAD-TRAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming` part of Letters Patent N o. 722,646, dated March 10, 1903.

Application tiled February 18, 1902. Serial No. 94,623. (No modelf:

To a/ZZ wiz/0m t may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLF WITTMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodhaven, Queens borough, New York city, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety Appliances for Railroad-Trains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic alarm which being audible in the cab of alocomotive will warn the driver or occupants of the cab, even if vision should be obscured or directed elsewhere, in addition to which the device can be made to eect automatic throttling or shutting off of steam or power, as also automatic application of brakes.

This invention is set forth in the following specification and claims,and illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which- A A Figure 1 is a side elevation of an alarm or safety mechanism embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 show a modification. Fig. 5 shows aside view of a track to illustrate a method of causing a stalled train to actuate the alarm of this invention. Fig. 6 is a section along x, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a view like Fig. 5, showing the position of parts when held -in action by a stalled train. Fig. 8 shows in plan view a modification of Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is an end view of the lever of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 shows a further modication of Fig. 5. Fig. 11 is a section along y y, Fig. 3, showing means for automatically actuating the throttle and brake. Fig. 12 is a section along z e, Fig. 11.

In carrying out this invention abell or audible alarm in a locomotive-cab is sounded when a switch is open or a green light or caution or danger point or red light is reached, and the device can be adapted for operation simultaneously with or by the operation of showing a green light or the like by a tower man or attendant or other agency independent of the train or locomotive.

In the drawings is shown a vibrator or anchor 6 for a striker or hammer of a bell or gong, and when gear-wheel l rotates the consequent vibration of the anchor or hammer sounds the alarm. This wheel has a pawl a for connection with ratchet 2, having pinion 3, engaged by rack or weight bar 4. The pawl-and-ratchet mechanism is connected to is placed at a suitable point at or along the' track or rail and suitably elevated, so that the rack carried by the oncoming locomotive rides.onto or is raised by the obstruction or hump 8. Then on leaving said obstruction and beginning to drop or return the rack rotates the pawl and sounds the alarm, as explained. While the rise of the bar may be sudden or a momentary jerk upward in case of a rapidly-traveling train, the

drop of the bar being slower the rotation of the Wheel 1 and sounding of the alarm will be correspondingly continued to secure attention. The alarm being audible,the attendants in the cab in which the alarm is mounted or applied will have their attention drawn thereto, even if their vision should at the time have been directed elsewhere-as, for example, looking along the track or inspecting some part of the machinery. By having the bar 4 actuate the alarm on its return or slow movement instead ot' on the upward jump from obstruction 8 strain or breakage is avoided.

The obstruction 8 can be a block or other object which can be fixed at or in a point or socket when required because of some accident or break, or such obstruction can be applied at the green-light or caution points of the track or made to be operated by a towerman or other attendant when opening a switch or otherwise as may be called for.

The device can be modified. In place of actuating only the alarm or sounder 6 the device can be made to throttle and brake. Say the pawl a or its gear-wheel instead of engaging only the vibrator 6 or instead of directlyengaging the same actuates a gear or pinion of a gear b, Fig. 3, which latter actu'- ates the gear engaging the vibrator or hammer. Said gear b can be arranged for making one complete revolution for two up-and IOO down vibrations of the rack or a complete revolution on each lip-and-down stroke. In the former case if the rack makes its rst rise and descent, say, at the caution or green signal the alarm is sounded, while gear b carries its arm c about for one-half of a revolution. At the second rise and fall of the rack-say at or near the danger-point or red lightthe arm c makes another half of one revolution, and in this second half-turn the arm c actuates the throttle-valve and also ac'tuates the brake or brake lever or valve, so as to automatically shut off steam and apply the brakes at the danger-point.

In Figs. 1l and l2 the arm c is shown as having just actuated one of the handle-levers-say the throttle-lever-and as this arm continues moving it will in turn shift the brake-lever. These two levers are in reach of the locomotive-driver and normally actuated by hand; but this tappet or shift arm c is adapted to shift the same automatically.

An arrangement for setting an obstruction S by a stalled train is shown in Fig. 5. Say a rod or slide d has inclines or slides c. This rod has wheels or friction-rollers f engaged by inclines or wedges g on plate h. When the latter is depressed by a train, the surfaces g slide rod d, with lifting-,surfaces e, to raise or set the obstruction 8. The latter being now in active position will actuate the rack-bar, as noted, to warn or stop a following train. Should the leading train pass oii the plate h, the returning-weight 10 will return the connection or slide rod d to bring the lower parts of slides e to the obstruction or move the slides out of action or clear of the obstruction, so that the latter will drop or come to clearing position.

The connection d need not necessarily be a slide-rod, since other arrangements-for example, a pull or chain or air-pressure orv other connection-could be arranged to have a stalled train automatically stop or warn o1' alarm a following train or train-hand. In place of push-rod connection air-pressure can be employed to set the obstruction. The

plate h, Fig. 10, when depressed or held down by a stalled train will actuate piston g to compress the air or water in pipe d' and lift piston e' to set the obstruction 8, or in place of a rod or air-pressure pipe the plate h can be made to move or swing lever cl2, Fig. S, which latter will lift or set the obstruction 8.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A safety mechanism adapted to be operated in connection with a block-signal, said mechanism comprising a rack actuated by obstructions which are raised and lowered as the block-signal is actuated, a ratchet and pawl actuated by the rack on its return movement, and gears actuated by the pawl on the return movement of the rack, one of the gears being made to make one rotation while the other gear makes two, the rapid gear being combined with an audible signal and the slow gear having a valve-actuator so that on the rst reciprocation of the rack on passing the obstruction at the caution-point the audible signal is actuated and on the second reciprooation of the rack on passing the obstruction at the danger-point the signal is again sounded and the valve also actuated for throttling and braking.

2. An alarm having an actuating-rack, a movable obstruction for actuating the rack, inclined slides for moving the obstructions into action, and a slide-rod and returningweight for moving the inclined slides to raise the obstruction and allowing the latter to drop.

3. A slide-rod and inclines for moving the same, a train -depressed plate to which the slides are secured, inclines secured to and moving with the rod, an obstruction in the path of and elevated by the inclines on the rod, and an alarm having an actuating-rack operated by the obstruction.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing` witnesses.

RUDOLF WITTMANN.

Witnesses:

CRAs. E. PoENsGEN, E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

